Cilantro Lime Chicken Fried Rice

Fried Rice is easier than stir-fry, y'all. And it's so tasty. The only exotic thing in this recipe is ginger--and if you read my blog then you know I've told you at least three times now to buy a hand of ginger and keep it in your freezer so you can grate it as you need it.

If you don't read my blog, then know that I live in a rural Texas town where I can't buy fresh ginger or leeks, or anything more exotic than a red onion. This blog is about tasty cooking with simple ingredients that are available just about anywhere.

Fried Rice is best made with leftover rice but who usually has six cups of leftover rice in the fridge? If I can, I just make the rice a day ahead or early the day of.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Fried Rice
This is not something you want to eat if you're going to be kissing anybody.
Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut up pretty much how you please. Strips or cubes is fine.

6 garlic cloves, peeled

2-3 serrano peppers with the stems removed

2 bunches of green onions, cleaned and cut into thirds and then julienned. You can substitute one red bell pepper, also julienned, in place of one bunch of the green onions if you like bell pepper. Leeks go well in this recipe and are more mild than the green onions, a very nice substitution if you can get them and definitely my preference.

1 cup of coarsely chopped cilantro, loosely packed (use up to 1.5 cups if you like, it won't hurt a thing). If you have fresh basil, you can use it instead of the cilantro if you like. Use the basil leaves whole. Do garnish the dish with cilantro, though, it adds excellent flavor.

3 TBS grated ginger

1 TBS honey or a teaspoon of white sugar

1 lime, juiced

1/8 cup soy sauce

Six cups of cooked rice (preferably Jasmine but whatever)

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

Using a mortar and pestle mash peppers and garlic cloves until pulverized. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, dice the garlic and peppers and mash them with the flat of a large blade by laying the blade flat on the garlic and peppers and pressing hard with your hand repeatedly. Mashing them brings out their oils and flavors better. But, if you prefer, you could also use a Cuisinart or an electric coffee grinder.

In a wok or dutch oven heat oil over medium heat, not too hot, and saute garlic and peppers for thirty seconds to a minute.

Add the chicken and turn the heat up to high. Stir constantly until chicken is about halfway cooked, then add all of the rice and combine well. If rice starts to stick to the pan too much (and it will very likely stick, don't let that bother you a bit, just don't let it burn) you can turn the heat back down to medium.

Add soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, and honey, combine well. It takes a while to combine six cups of cooked rice, all that chicken, and all these seasonings. Don't fret, your chicken will have plenty of time to finish cooking while you are busy getting it all combined.

Add green onions and cilantro and combine well, allowing it to cook for a minute or two until the green onions start to go limp. Do not overcook.

Serve and enjoy as an entree or as a side dish.

You can substitute fish sauce and/or oyster sauce for the soy sauce. It will add a great depth of flavor as well as adding all the saltiness the dish will need.